San Jose hopes to promote green transportation with new bike lanes

Some of San Jose's most traveled streets are on track to get bike lanes that city officials hope will help promote green transportation.

Plans for bicycle lanes and shared lane pavement markings on Scott-Auzerais, Julian Street, Lincoln Avenue, Park Avenue and Stockton Avenue are perfect, said 56-year-old Ahmed Masood, a Cambrian resident who takes many of those streets on his daily ride to work.

Masood said he travels at least 5,000 miles on his bicycle each year, both commuting and recreationally, and has had "close calls" on the roads where the department of transportation is proposing to add lanes.

"I take Auzerais [daily], and that road can use a bike lane," he said, adding that the cracks and potholes can be dangerous to cyclists. "The more the better, and I hope they pave that road, too. It reminds me of Third World roads."

The avid bicyclist said he thinks that painting the lane another color, such as green, would help and that narrow Meridian Avenue is in need of a bike lane as well.

Patrick Loera, an San Jose State University student, said he takes these roads often and primarily gets around on bicycle. He said that he hopes the lanes would make riding down the roads more comfortable.

"But people on Julian still drive like maniacs in the morning," he said. "I hope this helps to slow them down."

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John Brazil of the department of transportation's active transportation program said the city has "aggressive goals" to accommodate everyone's needs--one of those needs being to create a system of bicycle pathways.

"The goal is a 400-mile bike lane network," he said. "We haven't heard any criticism to date."

He said that the hope is to also connect many of these thoroughfares to creek trails, so that bicyclists can get around San Jose safely and quickly.

Park Avenue is set to have bike lanes between Market Street to Newhall Street. If things go as planned, this will help create a direct bikeway connection between Santa Clara University, the Rose Garden neighborhood and downtown San Jose.

Department of transportation officials would like to see 5 percent of trips made by bike by the year 2020 and 15 percent by 2040.